The Politics of Culture From ‘What it is’ to ‘What it does’

The Politics of CultureFrom ‘What it is’ to ‘What it does’

Cultural Wholes versus the Cultural Arena

Cultural arena can be broken down into two perspectives – structure and agency.

Culture as a system of symbols and meanings

• Symbols

Culture as practice• Tool Kit

The goal is HEGEMONY

Flag of 1958 Revolution

Iraqi Flag 1959 – 1963 under Qasim

Nisb el-Hurriya (Freedom Monument)

Iraqi Flag under Ba’ath Rule1968 – 1991

Iraqi Flag under Ba’ath Rule1991 - 2003

Project for the Rewriting of History under Ba’th Party

Goes beyond simple political indoctrination

Sought to negate Iraqist nationalism’s inclusive legacy and build a “new Iraqi man and Society”

• Reject or ignore existing power relations (tribalism, sectarianism, social class)

• Get rid of Iraqist nationalist legacy from historical record• Strictly limit religion to the private sphere• Develop new Iraq-centered concept of Pan-Arabism

Ideological Contradiction • Could not adopt exclusive Pan-Arabism (alienation of Kurds, Shi’is,

communists)• Could not embrace Iraqist nationalism (negated Pan-Arabism)

Shu’ubiya Controversy and the Iran-Iraq War

Shu’ubiya Controversy and the Iran-Iraq War

Arabized Persian Shi’a (core of ‘Abbasid bureaucracy, worked to undermine empire from within and caused its downfall)

Message to Sunni minority – Shi’a are untrustworthyMessage to Shi’a – enjoying benefits of the state required

renunciation of cultural heritage

Monument of the Unknown Unknown Soldier

Hands of Victory (Swords of Qadisiyah)

Shatt al-Arab Martyr’s Monument

A sculpture of the footwear hurled at President Bush in December 2008 unveiled in a ceremony at the Tikrit Orphanage complex.

It was ordered to be taken down and destroyed (which it was) only a month later.

The Theatre of Ali al-Kassar (from reading)

Cartoon of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (2010) after a mounting political challenge by advocates of Mohamed el-Baradei